Boasting a smorgasbord of Hollywood talent, Be Cool is a rather tepid comedy with just enough charm to be passable.

| Nov 18, 2019

Be Cool isn't the biting satire that Get Shorty was. It's lighter, hipper, and, yes, more fun.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Feb 11, 2012

Be Cool sounds like it should be good, or at least entertaining, but it's neither. It does have some genuinely fun moments, but lacks a strong narrative to hang them off of. The result is empty, full of contrivances, and ultimately unsatisfying.

| Original Score: 5/10 | Jan 7, 2011

Watered-down sequel isn't meant for kids.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 30, 2010

I was really glad when it was over.

| Apr 6, 2010

Self-mocking jokes prevail in F. Gary Gray's feisty cinematic version of Elmore Leonard's irreverent Los Angeles based novel.

| Original Score: B- | Apr 18, 2009

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 7, 2008

click to read review [Greek]

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Sep 10, 2006

| Original Score: 2/5 | Apr 1, 2006

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Dec 6, 2005

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 5, 2005

The characters are still engaging, but the story is a mess this time around.

| Original Score: C | Jun 8, 2005

Nothing here feels authentic--not the occasionally funny thugs or the supposed 'street cred' vibe that hits like a thud.

| Original Score: D | Jun 7, 2005

Less like a story than an assemblage of moments and top-notch character acting, but as far as cinematic trifles go, it's guilt-free.

| Original Score: 3/4 | May 10, 2005

There's some fun to be had here, but measured against Get Shorty, the movie doesn't fare so well.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | May 6, 2005

Chili remains Travolta's greatest creation, the quintessence of black-clad hipster nonchalance, imperturbable even when the bullets are flying.

| Apr 23, 2005

The whole film is a great piece of eye candy with many LA sites and a lot of music and action.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 14, 2005

...attempts to look effortless in seeming hip, but the wink-wink, nudge-nudge jokes about sequels, Hollywood, and the music world come off as familiar and self-congratulatory.

| Original Score: D+ | Apr 13, 2005

A half-hearted, loosey-goosey sequel so floppy and laid-back that it just sort of lounges on a sun chair and soaks up the audience's good intentions.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Apr 10, 2005

Funny and smart, nicely crafted without being overly artsy, and quirky but approachable. If only every sequel were this much fun.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Apr 8, 2005